Disk drive

ABSTRACT

A disk device in which an energizing spring is arranged to energize a movement regulating member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of the movement regulating member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a disk device by which objectdisks to be reproduced or to be recorded are exchanged.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A disk device in the prior art, for example, disclosed inJapanese Laid Open Patent 2001-101759, includes a holding means 103which is composed of an upper arm 101 and a lower arm 102 and whichswings around a swinging axis 104 to hold an arbitrary disk. At thepoint because a toggle spring 105 keeps a state pressing a positioningpin 106 onto a pick up elevating table 107, in other words, because thetoggle spring 105 which has an inflection point within a swinging areaof the holding means 103, gives a resisting force against a swingingdirection within a swinging area which does not exceed the inflectionpoint, a turn table 108 and a chucking plate 109 are positioned withhigh precision.

[0003] However, because the disk device in the prior art is composed asdescribed above, when a swing stop position is shifted by precision,looseness and the like of parts in the holding means 103, it causes aproblem that the resisting force given by the toggle spring 105 isvaried and thereby the resisting force becomes unstable at the swingstop position. And because the holding means 103 is made to swing ineach case when a disk is exchanged, the resisting force is applied ontoswinging members and the toggle spring 105, thereby they are exposed toloads, it causes also a problem that durability of the swinging membersand the toggle spring are deteriorated.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the above describedproblems and it is an object of the invention to provide a disk deviceby which accurate positioning can be achieved without having thedeterioration of durability.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesan energizing member which energizes a movement regulating member alonga direction substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of themovement regulating member.

[0006] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that accuratepositioning is achieved without having the deterioration of durability.

[0007] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesa widened portion which is arranged in a sliding hole made on a base.

[0008] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that an energizingforce is applied to a clamper arm only when it is required.

[0009] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesa convex portion which is arranged on the base to abut with theenergizing member.

[0010] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that the energizingforce is applied to a clamper arm only when it is required.

[0011] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesthe energizing member which is fixed on the base.

[0012] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that a dead spaceon the movement regulating member is made smaller.

[0013] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesthe energizing member which is made on the movement regulating member.

[0014] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that aminiaturization of the base is realized.

[0015] The disk device in accordance with the present invention includesthe energizing member which is composed by a use of spring.

[0016] By this arrangement an effect can be produced that the movementregulating member is simply energized without having a complicatedstructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a relevant part of diskdevice in the prior art.

[0018]FIG. 2 is a plan view to show a relevant part of disk device inthe prior art.

[0019]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view to show a disk deviceaccording to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 4 is a perspective view to show the disk device according toembodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0021]FIG. 5 is a plan view of relevant part to show a waiting positionof a clamper arm.

[0022]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of relevant part to show the waitingposition of the damper arm.

[0023]FIG. 7 is a plan view of relevant part to show a position where aturn table and a damper are positioned on a same axis before they chucka disk together.

[0024]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of relevant part to show the positionwhere a turn table and a clamper are positioned on a same axis beforethey chuck a disk together.

[0025]FIG. 9 is a plan view of relevant part to show a reproducingposition after they chuck a disk together.

[0026]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of relevant part to show thereproducing position after they chuck a disk together.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0027] For explaining the present invention in more detail, best modesfor carrying out the invention will be described hereinafter withreference to the accompanied drawings.

[0028] Embodiment 1

[0029]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view to show a disk deviceaccording to embodiment 1 of the present invention and FIG. 4 is aperspective view to show the disk device according to embodiment 1 ofthe present invention shown. In the drawings a reference numeral 1designates a base on which supporting axes 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, 1 d arearranged to stand and in which sliding holes 1 g, 1 h are made, 2designates a reproducing base unit which is supported by the supportingaxis 1 a of base 1 enably to swing in R-R′ direction and which isregulated not to swing over by a swing regulating member 13, 3designated a turn table set on the reproducing base unit 2, 4 designatesan optical pickup which reciprocatedly moves along a predetermineddirection in the reproducing base unit 2.

[0030] A reference numeral 5 designates a damper which opposes to theturn table 3 to hold a disk together, 6 designates a clamper arm ontowhich a damper holder 7 is fastened by screws, 7 designates the damperholder by which the damper 5 is held, 8 designates a damper drivingmember having a pin 8 a to engage with a cam hole 10 b on a damper base10 and a cam hole 9 b on a clamper plate 9, and which is supported bythe supporting axis 1 c of base 1 enably to swing in T-T′ direction, 9designates the damper plate which slides along a cam hole 10 c of damperbase 10 and which abuts to contact with a cam shape 6 a of the damperarm 6 by a roller 9 a, 10 designates the damper base supported enably toswing in S-S′ direction by the supporting axis 1 b of base 1, on whichthe cam holes 10 b, 10 c are made at bottom surface portion and on whicha sub base 17 having a pin 17 a to be stood on is fastened at a verticalportion by screw, while the damper base supports the damper arm 6 by anaxis 10 a.

[0031] A reference numeral 11 designates a damper spring which urges thedamper arm 6 along P direction around the axis 10 a, 12 designates amovement regulating member having sliding pins 12 d, 12 e at backsurface which engage with sliding hole 1 g, 1 h of the base 1, and onwhich a cam hole 12 a engaging with the pin 17 a of sub base 17 and a Lshaped cam hole 12 b engaging with a pin 8 b of the damper drivingmember 8 and the supporting axis 1 c of base 1, are arranged.

[0032] A reference numeral 13 designates the swing regulating member toregulate a swing of the reproducing base unit 2, 15 designates anenergizing spring (energizing member) which is fastened by screw on aside surface of the base 1, to energize the movement regulating member12 in a direction (X direction) substantially perpendicular to a slidingdirection. A reference numeral 16 designates a positioning member whichis fastened by screw onto the base 1, to abut onto an abutting portion10 d set on a bottom surface portion of the damper base 10. A referencenumeral 17 designates the sub base on which the pin 17 a are arranged tostand, 20 designates a base top which is fastened onto the base 1 byscrews and on which holes are made at the same axial position accordingto the supporting axis 1 a and the supporting axis 1 b that are made tobe stood on the base 1.

[0033] Herein FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a waiting position of the damperarm 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a position where the turn table 3 and thedamper 5 are positioned on a same axis before they chuck a disktogether, and FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show a reproducing position after theychuck a disk together.

[0034] Hereinafter operation of the disk device will be explained.

[0035] Because the sliding pins 12 d and 12 e which are set at the backsurface of movement regulating member 12, engage with the sliding holes1 g and 1 h which are made on the base 1, the movement regulating member12 is driven in a translational movement along Y direction of thedrawing by a driving source which is not shown in the drawing.

[0036] Based on this movement, the pin 17 a on sub base 17 which engageswith the cam hole 12 b on movement regulating member 12, is driven by ahorizontal portion of the L shaped cam hole 12 b, then the damper base10 swings around the supporting axis 1 b of base 1. In other words, thedamper arm 6, damper holder 7 and damper 5 which are supported by theaxes on the damper base 10, and damper plate 9 which engages with thebottom surface portion of damper base 10 are driven to swing around thesupporting axis 1 b.

[0037] According as the movement regulating member 12 is driven along Ydirection, the damper base 10 also continues to swing around thesupporting axis 1 b, and when the damper base 10 has swung apredetermined swinging angle, the abutting portion 10 d on the clamperbase 10 abuts with the positioning member 16 which is fixed on the base1 and the swing movement is stopped.

[0038] At this point the pin 17 a on the sub base 17 is shifted from thehorizontal portion of L shaped cam hole 12 a on the movement regulatingmember 12 to the vertical portion.

[0039] When the damper base 10 abuts with the positioning member 16, aconvex portion 12 f of the movement regulating member 12 also abuts withthe energizing spring 15 thereby the movement regulating member 12receives an urging force by the spring in X′ direction. At this pointthe sliding pin 12 d is not driven along X′ direction with the urgingforce by the spring because the sliding pin 12 d on the movementregulating member 12 engages with the sliding hole 1 g on the base 1.

[0040] On the other hand, because the sliding pin 12 e arrives from anarrow portion 1 ha of the sliding hole 1 h at a widened portion 1 hb,the sliding pin 12 e becomes enable to swing in a direction B of thedrawing with the pin 12 d as an axis of swing. At the same time the pin17 a on the sub base 17 which engages with the L shaped cam hole 12 a,becomes to receive an urging force from the cam hole 12 a along X′direction because the movement regulating member 12 swings along Bdirection around the pin 12 d as a center. At this point the damper base10 receives an urging force along a direction designated by a referencesymbol C in FIG. 7 around the supporting axis 1 b on the base 1 as acenter, it causes an urging force along a direction for the positioningmember 16 and the abutting portion 10 d on the damper base 10 to beabutted with each other (See FIG. 7 and FIG. 8).

[0041] As a result a predetermined strength of urging force is continuedto apply to the damper base 10 regardless of a distance which themovement regulating member is driven in translational movement becausethe urging force from the energizing spring 15 is applied insubstantially perpendicular to the direction in which the movementregulating member is driven as the translational movement. Also a strongdriving force is not required to drive the movement regulating member 12because the urging force is not applied as a load to the translationalmovement of the movement regulating member 12. Moreover, thepredetermined strength of urging force can be kept to apply even when anintentional load is abruptly applied to the movement regulating member12 by a mechanical shock and the like from outside.

[0042] Further, when the movement regulating member 12 continues to bedriven along Y direction, the pin 8 b on the clamper driving member 8which engages with the cam hole 12 b, is driven by an inclined surfaceof the cam hole 12 b to swing around the supporting axis 1 d of base 1.

[0043] Accompanied with this movement, the damper plate 9 which isslidably arranged on the bottom surface portion of damper base 10, movesin translational movement along the cam hole 10 c in a directiondesignated A in FIG. 7.

[0044] Because the roller 9 a on damper plate 9 abuts with the cam shape6 a of damper arm 6 by an urging force of the damper spring 11, thedamper arm 6 is made to swing around the axis 10 a along P direction ascontacting with the cam shape 6 a according to the translationalmovement of damper plate 9 to hold a disk which is not shown togetherwith the turn table 3 and the damper 5.

[0045] Further the movement regulating member 12 is continued to drivein translational movement along Y direction, then the urging force fromthe driving source is released at a predetermined position to stop themovement regulating member 12 (See FIG. 9 and FIG. 10). At this pointbecause the energizing spring 15 and the convex portion 12 f of movementregulating member 12 continue to contact with each other, the abovedescribed urging force from the energizing spring 15 is made tocontinuously apply on the damper base 10 without variation.

[0046] Embodiment 2

[0047] The above described Embodiment 1 is explained about a disk devicein which the energizing spring 15 is fixed on the base 1, however, it isalso recommendable that the energizing spring 15 is fixed on themovement regulating member 12, this disk device also achieves quite thesame effect as the above describe Embodiment 1.

[0048] Industrial Applicability

[0049] As set forth above, the disk device in accordance with thepresent invention is suitable for the disk device in which a pluralityof disks are stored and it is required the disk is surely exchanged whenan arbitrary disk is selected and reproduced.

What is claimed is:
 1. A disk device comprising: a movement regulatingmember which is engaged with a sliding hole made on a base to slide onsaid base; a damper base which is engaged with a cam hole made on saidmovement regulating member to swing around a swinging axis on said baseas a center; a damper arm which is supported on said damper base to holda damper for clamping a disk; a positioning member which is arranged onsaid base to abut with the damper base when said damper base swings; andan energizing member which urges the movement regulating member along adirection substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of saidmovement regulating member.
 2. The disk device according to claim 1characterized by that a widened portion is arranged in said sliding holemade on the base.
 3. The disk device according to claim 1 characterizedby that a convex portion which abuts with the energizing member, isarranged on the base.
 4. The disk device according to claim 1characterized by that said energizing member is fixed on the base. 5.The disk device according to claim 1 characterized by that saidenergizing member is arranged on the movement regulating member.
 6. Thedisk device according to claim 1 characterized by that said energizingmember is composed by a use of spring.